“Also, winning awards myself and then getting to relax after working so hard.” “The most exciting part is going to Junior Olympic nationals and congratulating my sisters and supporting them,” she says. “My main goal is just to keep trying harder so I can do my best in the Junior Olympics because, if you think about it, all of my training is for that.”įor big sister Tai, there’s nothing quite like getting to live her dreams with her sisters by her side. “This is the type of place that hard work can take you!” she says. “She really inspires me to work really hard like her.”įocused on taking things to even higher heights as a Junior Olympian, 10-year-old Rainn had the perfect reaction to learning of the SportsKids of the Year honor.
“My inspiration is Alex Felix,” she adds. “Also, my babysitter Sharon Davis, who introduced us to track and field and really helped us work as hard as we could to get us where we are now.” Brooke also credits Olympic champion Alex Felix with inspiring her to push forward. “My coach really inspired me to try hard and to really put everything into it,” 9-year-old Brooke told ESSENCE. When the family fell on hard times and relocated to a homeless shelter that September, the encouraging spirit of those around them played a big role in helping to keep them going.
The girls first took an interest in track and field when their babysitter signed them up for a track meet in January of 2015. This week, young track and field stars Tai, Rainn and Brooke Sheppard were announced as the recipients of the 2016 Sports Illustrated SportsKids Of the Year award for their athletic accomplishments and unwavering dedication in the face of extreme hardships.ĮSSENCE caught up with the young track stars and their proud mother Tonia Handy for a quick chat just as they were preparing for the SI SportsKids of the Year announcement.
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